Half to samuel h



(No Model.)

. J. K-LENK.

VEHICLE GOUPLING.

Patented Aug.. 18,1885.

2f-ggd. 324,474.

IMI

WII'JV'ESSES .Attorney Lnhagnpher. wmingmn. n. c.

UNITED STATES ATENT Ormea.

/IOHN KLENK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF 'IO SAMUEL H. HAAS, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,474l dated August 18, 1885.

Application filed December 3l, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOHN KLENK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Vehicle Coupling, of which the following` is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a device stationary on the vehicle or some part of it, which may be easily operated for the connection of the pole or traces, and which will securely hold the same when so applied.

The invention consists in a pin stationarily Xed tothe vehicle, and having a movable spring cross-piece adapted to admit the attachment of a pole or tongue or trace, and be thereafter turned across the path of escape of such tongue or trace to prevent its escape, substantially as hereinafter particularly set forth and claimed.

I may here remark that my invention is primarily designed for a street-car coupling; but, as indicated in the accompanying drawings, its applicability is eXtensible elsewhere. l

In said drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a side elevation of part of a street car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical section, on a larger scale, of the pin detached. Fig. 3 represents in perspective the several parts of the device as applied to a whiffletree; Fig. 4, an elevation, and Fig. 5 a vertical section of whifletree-hooks of my construction. Y

As usually made the poles of streeticars have a forked iron at the rear end, the upper member of which has a hole'in it, and the lower member of which is notched. The car has projecting irons to receive these members, with a hole in each, and a loose pin is dropped through the holes in said tongue and car-irons to connect them, the notched iron permitting the requisite rise and fall of the pole.

Instead of a loose pin, I fiX in the car-irons or other equivalent projection from the platform a pin, a, and have herein shown it as screw-threaded to this end; but, obviously, a

(No model.)

nut may be used to fasten it. This pin has a collar, b, to limit the play in one direction of the article secured to it, and the play in the other direction is restricted, and the admission and removal of such article is governed by a cross-piece, c. This cross-piece is pivoted in a recess, ol, in the head of the pin upon the pin c, so as to freely turn therein; but its freedom of motion is restricted by a followerblock, f, having ay stem, g, which is tted in a socket, h, in the pin a; and acted upon by aspring, t, set beneath it in said socket, and tending to force the follower-block out against the cross-piece.

The spring will be of suflicient strength to hold the cross-piece in the position to which it is turned manually securely against accidental displacement. This cross-piece has two movementsone shown in full lines, where it stands crosswise of the pin, and the other in=`- dicated in dotted lines, Fig. 4, when it is in alignment with the pin a,- and this latter position is the one into which it is turned when the pole or trace is to be applied or removed, while the crosswise position is that which will be given when thepole or trace is to be locked to the pin.

My pin as a coupling-pin for street-cars will be found of great utility, as it is axture, not liable to detachment, loss, or displacement, and is very easily operated.

A pin substantially such as shown in Fig. 2 may be reduced in size and screwed in a whifiietree,rone at each end, for use in securing the traces, and a ferrule, j, then applied to each end of the whifletree; or said pin and ferrule may be made as a single casting, as shown in Figs. 8 and 5.

I have shown only these two applications of my pin; but its use is obviously extensible.

What I claim isl. A couplingpin provided with a threaded shank, across piece pivoted in its head, and a springfollower in engagement with such cross-piece` to hold it in given position, substantially as described.

2. The pin a, having the collar b, pivoted cross-piece c, set in a recess in the head of the pin, a follower-block, f, acting on said crosspiece, and its spring i, substantially as shown and described.

3. The pin a, having the sprnghe1d crosslny hand this 30th day of December, A. I).` 1.884.

JOHN KLENK. plece c, eombmed W1bh the coupllng-lrons of 5 a Streetcar for connecting the pole or tongue, Witnesses:

SAMUEL H. HAS, FREDK. BREITING ER.

substantially as shown and described.

1n testimony whereof I have hereunto set 

